STATISTICS, FACTS, & SUCH

The three states with the highest rates of reported identity theft in 2001 were the District of Columbia, California, and Nevada.
FTC Consumer Statistic Web Site, 1/26/02

A survey in July, 2001 found almost 50% of Americans were worried about ID theft. By September, only 40% (three out of five) were worried about it. 62% of the U.S. population are aware that credit bureaus are a resource in resolving identify theft.
Efunds Corporation, Decision Support & Risk Management, January, 2002

There is now one (1) drive-through ATM in Jamaica.
National Commercial Bank, press release, 1/21/02

Consumers who are victims of identity theft have two years from the time the theft occurred to report it and make a claim, not two years from the discovery of the wrongdoing, according to a Supreme Court ruling.
Bottom Line Personal, March 1, 2002, p5.

More than 50 billion checks are processed in the United States every year.
MIT Sloan School of Management Report

The actual cost of processing a check can range from $1 to $5, and there are five different transactions between writing the check and getting it back in a statement.
Ibid.

Of the approximately 8 billion ACH transactions processed in 2001, 64 million were point-of-purchase check conversions. In 2000 there were only 25 million.
NACHA as reported on ICBA Washington Weekly Report 4/5/02

Part of the problem in switching to the Euro in Germany is trying to find a way to dispose of its 350,000 tons of obsolete coins, which contain as much metal as 47 Eiffel Towers.
www.bundesbank.de and www.euro.ecb.int

The average consumer handles more than $600 in loose change each year.
Coinstar National Currency Poll

Copyright © 2002 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 12, No. 3, 4/02